Gold-Plated Connectors

[mcdonalk]

Back when I first became interested in home audio, RCA and XLR connectors and the such were not gold plated. I don't remember for sure, but it may have been at least 10-20 years later when gold plating started appearing on cables and component connectors. I still have components that have audio connectors that are not gold plated, from the late '80's. They seem to be working OK.

Does gold plating of connectors provide an audible benefit, or is it just a hyped feature that has become commonplace?

Is there a metallurgical issue, of which I should be aware, in mating gold-plated connectors with connectors that are not gold-plated?

 

[egellings]

The only thing gold plating does, if it's authentic (not gold-colored paint), is to prevent corrosion. Outside of that, it has no audible effect.

 

[DVDdoug]

Does gold plating of connectors provide an audible benefit

No. Gold doesn't corrode and corroded connectors can result in bad or intermittent contact but 'indoor" connectors rarely corrode and you don't really want to leave your audio equipment out in the weather anyway.

The gold plating is also very-thin so "the rumor is" that it can wear-off at the contact points.

Is there a metallurgical issue, of which I should be aware, in mating gold-plated connectors with connectors that are not gold-plated?

No. It's OK to mix-and-match.

 

[SoundMagic]

It’s not real gold. It’s a non corrosive alloy that is gold colored. People’s brain is programmed to think when the see gold colored objects their mind goes it should be expensive and shouts premium. A scam by manufacturers in one way. They found rhodium was not selling so the marketing decided to go with gold

Silver is used as a superior conductor in electronics though.

 

[Devnull]

It’s not real gold. It’s a non corrosive alloy that is gold colored. People’s brain is programmed to think when the see gold colored objects their mind goes it should be expensive and shouts premium. A scam by manufacturers in one way. They found rhodium was not selling so the marketing decided to go with gold

Silver is used as a super conductor in electronics though.

Reputable manufacturers use real gold plating. 0.2-0.5 um thickness is usually the plating range. The downside, besides increased cost, is that the plating does limit the number of duty cycles of the connection, usually on the male pin.

Silver is not a super conductor.

 

[Chrispy]

It’s not real gold. It’s a non corrosive alloy that is gold colored. People’s brain is programmed to think when the see gold colored objects their mind goes it should be expensive and shouts premium. A scam by manufacturers in one way. They found rhodium was not selling so the marketing decided to go with gold

Silver is used as a super conductor in electronics though.

LOL silver as superconductor. Some gold plating might actually be gold plating otoh.

 

[SoundMagic]

Copper zinc or copper tin alloy is used for gold plating. And yes, silver is a superior conductor used in electronics.

 

[Chrispy]

Copper zinc or copper tin alloy is used for gold plating. And yes, silver is a superior conductor used in electronics.

Yes, a variety of things can be used for plating. Silver has a slightly better conductivity but is generally meaningless for audio purposes.

 

[SoundMagic]

Silver is already used in all electronic circuits. No matter whether it’s audio or not.

 

[MCH]

The translation is a bit peculiar but it is quite detailed:

Why do we plate the terminals of connectors?

Why are connector terminals plated? Plating is an integral part of connectors. However, the types and configurations of plating are quite complicated. I have many years of experience working as an engineer in industries other than connectors. The connector industry has

www.irisoele.com

 

[solderdude]

Silver is already used in all electronic circuits. No matter whether it’s audio or not.

So is brass, copper, nickel, gold, aluminium and even rhodium which is a poor conductor but can take a beating.

Copper is only 6% higher in resistance than silver but gold is 53% higher in resistance.
Copper is THE most used metal in electronics.

 

[DSJR]

I was told this nearly fifty years ago when 'gold' plated connectors were coming out for domestic use.

"Gold does not make a better connection, merely a longer lasting one!"

I do admit though and in these days of 'eye-fi,' that properly gold-plated plugs and sockets do LOOK great and are taken totally for granted I believe.

Now, I know Rega is basically a dirty word around here (understandable at their export prices), but boss Roy Gandy said (I suspect with engineering knowledge to back it up?), that multiple platings on say, RCA sockets, wasn't a good idea, so all their standard electronics have (still I think) equally standard RCA socket banks (I can't remember of the 'reference' products are the same though).

 

[Mnyb]

Gold can be a good choice for home audio , its not as expensive as it looks with the very thin layer it is .

But you don't change connectors all the time in your hifi , just connect stuff and it sits for years , so the non corrosive nature off the connectors can help .

In pro audio its some kind of alloy of nickel and other metals ( I think ) , here your out for ruggedness because cables go in and out all the time like in stage equipment .
Gold would wear off . So you need a surface treatment that's up to some abuse , gold is also soft .

 

[lini]

Reputable manufacturers use real gold plating. 0.2-0.5 um thickness is usually the plating range. (...)

Depends on the particular product. For example, in case of the comparatively cheap Neutrik/Rean NYS373 the gold layer indeed is only 0.2 µm thick - whereas in case of Neutrik's quite a good bit more expensive professinal RCA plugs NF2C(-B/2) it's 5 µm (over 5 µm nickel, serving as barrier layer against diffusion).

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Taiga]

Gold must have excellent audio properties. That is why they are using so much of it for that new ballroom in D.C.

 

[lini]

Gold must have excellent audio properties. That is why they are using so much of it for that new ballroom in D.C.

Might be just the new house owner preferring ballroom bling to ballroom blitz.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[tineared]

Might be just the new house owner preferring ballroom bling to ballroom blitz.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

Resident, not owner

 

[lini]

Resident, not owner

I'd bet a fiver, that he rahter considers himself the owner.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[tineared]

I'd bet a fiver, that he rahter considers himself the owner.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

I am sure he does consider himself the owner
He is mistaken about a great many things
Cheers form Fort Lauderdale!

 

[boswell]

Gold is the only metal that does not have an oxide layer at its surface and does not corrode. The oxide layer at other metal surfaces has a small measurable effect on resistance etc. At the termination between one component and the next the boundaries are affected by these oxide layers except in the instance of a gold to gold contact(true metal to metal). The use of gold contacts came about for critical applications where there was a need, mainly in micro electronics where an unwanted potential difference at a conductor boundary was a problem.
This is not required for audio performance however it is is important in audio marketing apparently.

here is a screen shot from a high school level source showing gold's unreactivity to oxygen